Craft

06/10/2020

Yes Bowdoin College! Hope more colleges, universities and employers step up to amplify their community's support of #BlackLivesMatter, and that the work and action doesn't stop there.

The Office of Inclusion and Diversity and the Office of the President have launched a matching gift program inspired by a student request. Any Bowdoin student, faculty, staff, and alumni gifts to @BlackLivesMatter, the NAACP, or one of the following Maine organizations between Saturday, June 6th, and Monday, June 15, will be matched dollar for dollar per individual, up to $250 per gift:

Maine Community Foundation
Maine Inside Out
Maine Youth Justice
The For Us, By Us Fund

Bowdoin students, faculty, staff, and alumni wishing to take advantage of this opportunity to increase the impact of their contribution should simply send a copy or screenshot of their gift receipt to [email protected].

Edit: the caption was edited to reflect it is "matched dollar for dollar per individual, up to $250 per gift."

06/05/2020

Though I am apprehensive of saying the wrong thing or acting out of shame for the tremendous and consistent privilege I have received in this country simply by virtue of being born white, I am learning that if we are the ones who profit from a system, just noticing its inequities is not enough. We must speak up and we must hold ourselves accountable.

The murder of #GeorgeFloyd is unforgivable. #BlackLivesMatter - today and everyday.

As a liberal white woman, I am reckoning with my silent complicity in the systemic racism that is very much alive and well in our country. I am sitting with my discomfort in allowing the systematic mistreatment of Black and Brown Americans based on the color of their skin to persist. I commit to continuing to educate myself, bear witness to my shortcomings and blind spots, and feel what comes up.

I commit to this work so that I can do my part to reduce harm and be a true ally to change. I look forward to seeing you along the journey.

06/01/2020

Thirteen Ways Of Looking At Life Before The Virus - The Sun Magazine

The Sun Magazine always nurtures me in unexpected ways. They've made their online content available to all, so dig on in! Sharing a favorite from this month's magazine, remembering the simple joys of human connectedness so easily taken for granted.

"V. I remember tapping a stranger
on the shoulder and saying,
'Your tag is showing.
Do you mind if I tuck it in?'
She didn’t mind. I tucked it in."

#mindfulentrepreneurship #poetry #perspective

In each issue of The Sun you’ll find some of the most radically intimate and socially conscious writing being published today. In an age of media conglomerates, we’re something of an oddity: an ad-free, independent, reader-supported magazine.

05/29/2020

Never get tired of seeing clients' impact in action - Go Mindful Employer and go Great Diamond Partners for seeing the value in mindfully supporting your team.

Learn more about available mindfulness training sessions and custom webinars at: https://mindfulemployer-us.com/training-and-webinars

#MindfulEmployerUS #growmaine #consciouscapitalism
#consciousleadership #powerofpause #clientspotlight

Since our team has been working remotely, we have been coming together virtually once a week for a meditation session. Thank you Elizabeth Ross Holmstrom of Mindful Employer for your calming guidance every week - and encouraging us today to be fully committed and in the present moment!

05/13/2020

Episode 108: BONUS: "Meetings with Matt" Replay - An Athlete Q&A on Covid-19 — Purple Patch Fitness

It was so inspiring learning about Purple Patch Fitness' unique approach to fitness this winter. Working together on copy for the website for their first-ever Purple Patch Center in San Francisco, I got to see the world through Founders Matt Dixon and Kelli McMaster's eyes - a world where everyone is an athlete and sport becomes an engine to power you in all you do.

Though COVID has delayed the Center opening, their podcast series is a great way to get to know about their work. This episode from March is full of perspective shifts I found really helpful to navigate this time of uncertainty as well as tons of great (FREE) resources from the Purple Patch Squad.

Big shouts to Matthew Hurley, Director of Coaching Ops at Purple Patch, for connecting us!

#socialimpact #clientspotlight #getmoving #fitnessforlife #squadlife #purplepatchfitness

A path forward in times of uncertainty

05/01/2020

Your voice has power. To uplift, to heal, to join, to free. How do you want to use it? You get to decide.

"The quieter you become, the more you are able to hear." -Rumi

Listen deeply.

#mindfulentrepreneurship #messagematters #growmaine #socialimpact #strongertogether

04/28/2020

Cafeteria Classroom

A great example of how communications can drive impact!

With so many parents at home with their children, we encouraged Portland Public Schools Food Services to lean into their vision of unleashing the educational potential in all things food.

They teamed up with FoodCorps, Cultivating Community, ecomaine, and Food Fuels Learning to bring this new site to life. Check it out for fun resources on nutrition, where our food comes from, gardening, how your kitchen (and backyard) can become a classroom, and pick-up locations and details for anyone in need.

#growmaine #strongertogether #driveimpact #foodfuelslearning #cafeteriaclassroom

We created this page so you can learn more about where your food comes from, how it helps you grow, and where it goes when you're done with it!

04/16/2020

8 Tips for framing Covid-19

The way we talk about things holds so much power. Thank you to Ryun Anderson of Restorative Justice Institute of Maine for this great piece about the power we all hold in how we frame COVID-19.

The short version? "Craft messages that evoke care, agency, the common good, solidarity and interdependence, NOT messages that evoke fear, division, passivity, fatalism and individualism."

#messagematters #strongertogether #spreadlove

Why waste time in a pandemic analysing language?

04/07/2020

Did you know Portland Public Schools Food Services is running a brown bag breakfast and lunch program throughout Portland during the school shut down? Look at all that produce!

If you have children in need or know someone who does, check out the full list of distribution sites here: https://www.portlandschools.org/c_o_v_i_d-19/food_distribution_sites.

So excited to be working with their team to update their brand strategy and communications tools to reflect their incredible commitment to community and students.

#eatlocal #foodforall #powerofcommunity #growmaine

It was a gorgeous day to serve meals! We handed out breakfast and lunches with an awesome Grilled Chicken Caesar salad kit. Thanks to the Locker Project families also got to take home bags of pantry staples and fresh produce!

Come see us tomorrow to grab free lunch and breakfast!

Thank you so much to the amazing folks who are out every day providing meals to Portland’s children!

04/02/2020

Fast Forward Maine

Tons of great content in this (Now) virtual 2-day and FREE conference coming up next week. Including Mindful Employer's Elizabeth Ross Holmstrom on April 7th at 10am talking about "Mindfulness Meets Capitalism – Purposeful Work is No Longer
Just for Non-Profits", followed by a session on managing cash flow during times of crisis.

#spaceforyou #growmaine #socialimpact #leadmindfully

A two-day, single track event that’s focused on your company’s success.: Topics such as business growth, leadership, attracting the best employees, overcoming workforce shortages, why company culture is a game changer, and more.

Who Should Attend?
Business owners, leaders, and entrepreneurs who are charged with growing their company should grab their seat now. 4/7 + 4/8, 2020 at your computer!

03/30/2020

3 Ways to Find Ease & Inspiration in Uncertain Times

I found so much peace and space from this post from Allie Andrews, I hope you do too.

It's so important to ramp up our self care + self love routines during these stressful times, yet I find myself being pulled toward busyness and distraction perhaps even more because the idea of sitting with my thoughts is that much scarier.

Wishing you little moments of quiet and space to just be, however that takes shape for you.

I'm happy to share her new offering through OmBody Health, a virtual 3-week workshop series on Self Care for Busy Women: https://ombodyhealth.com/allie-andrews/

#mindfulentrepreneurship #socialimpact #mindfulness

Are you feeling the collective anxiety and worry around COVID-19? I know I am. There are a few things that are really supporting me right now, and have historically, to soothe anxiety (which is a regular occurrence for me), fear-based thinking, and agitation in the face …

03/16/2020

Grateful to be connected with all of you through work, friendship and community, and sending wishes for love that is stronger than fear in these turbulent times.

I love this framing from a recent email from Breathing Room: Yoga & Movement Studio: “We are being asked to hold a lot of contradictions right now - caring for each other by staying away, not panicking while being hyper vigilant, not hoarding yet being prepared. The more we can hold these complexities in an integrated way, the easier all this extremely difficult stuff can be.”
- Hala Khouri, Off the Mat into The World

Check out their FB page for great online class options and support to stay grounded in the magic and beauty that surrounds us even in uncertainty. May we be extra gentle and kind with ourselves.

#strongertogether #stillness #mindfulentrepreneurship

03/12/2020

Today's challenge: How can you lean into your uniqueness?

In your marketing materials, in one-on-one conversations, in your life, the more we can let the world see us, the more we will be seen for us!

Sparked from this morning's Communicating With Power #Mastermind. I am so enjoying being in community with these incredible women and look forward to more of these to come!

#mindfulentrepreneurship #socialimage #messagematters

03/06/2020

Boost Your Energy With These Foods — Nutrition Simplified

Taking the time to nourish our bodies (and souls!) is so integral to our ability to show up as change agents. As we creep toward the mid-winter slump, here are some foods from Nutrition Simplified to keep fueling that furnace.

#nurturedbynature #socialimpact #mindfulentrepreneurship

Fuel your body and energize your day with these nutrient-dense foods.

02/27/2020

#ThursdayThought: "To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

#BeYou #PowerfulCommunications #StartWithWhy

02/24/2020

Cabin Fever

Camden International Film Festival's Cabin Fever Film Fest is this weekend! February 28- March 1, "A wee bit of the CIFF experience during the time we all need it most...the dead of winter."

#TruthisStrangerThanFiction #CabinFever #MaineWintah

$75 per person gets you access to all the films, Storyforms VR exhibitions, the Opening Night Happy Hour Reception, and Saturday Night party!

02/19/2020

Beat Burnout

We cannot serve from an empty cup. It's a lesson I am reminded of over and over again and am so pleased to share this workshop series from #Mastermind entrepreneur and friend Hannah Curtis. Her business, New Approaches, is helping tons of strong, impactful people become even stronger and create ripples of change in their communities.

Check out the deets below and tell burnout to get lost!

#GrowMaine #SocialImpact #MindfulEntrepreneurship

Beat Burnout Are you prone to working so hard that you have nothing left to give at the end of the workday? Have you become exhausted by your job, sometimes to the point of daily dread? Is it difficult to figure out what to do about your frustrations, leaving you feeling powerless? If you said yes t...

02/13/2020

Thursday thought: "Working hard for something we don’t care about is called stress; working hard for something we love is called passion." - Simon Sinek

#thursdaythought #dowhatyoulove #socialimpact

02/11/2020

It's Maine Nonprofit Day! A day to celebrate the tremendous impact nonprofits have on our quality of life and economy.

Fun fact: Did you know 1 in 6 workers in Maine is employed by a nonprofit? If you are one, thank you!

"Mainers rely on nonprofits to nurture our minds, protect our environment, inform our government, educate our children, and drive our economy, all while investing significant financial and human resources throughout the state." - Maine Association of Nonprofits

#NonprofitsWorkForME #GrowMaine

02/07/2020

Starting to feel at home in our new office with India Menninghaus and Leah Fisher Photography - come on over and say hello!

#growmaine #femaleentrepreneurship #snowday

02/05/2020

Waypoints Forum 2020: Courageous Leadership in Disruptive Times

Looking forward to the 2020 Waypoints Forum this Friday from the Island Institute: Courageous Leadership in Disruptive Times. Heck yeah! Thank you Adam Burk for the tip.

#socialimpact #mindfulentrepreneurship

Join us at the 2020 Waypoints Forum as we look, listen, and vision together for a resilient future.

01/23/2020

Spotted this gem on the way into work yesterday - 100% yes! Inspiration is everywhere.

#worksmart #sustainableentrepreneurship #cultivatestillness #mindfulentrepreneurship

01/17/2020

Inviting Stillness - Rolling Meadows Retreat

In the spirit of the beautiful stillness a snowy Maine holiday weekend can offer, sharing a piece I wrote last year for Rolling Meadows Retreat about a silent winter retreat.

"As the weekend goes on the worries and thoughts of everyday life fade and there is just the lightness of ease; a felt knowledge that everything I am seeking is right there within me if only I can remember to pause and look." -Leah Hurley, Inviting Stillness

#stillness #silence #space #mindfulentrepreneurship #socialimpact #growmaine

  By Leah Hurley (Leah is a long-time student who offers a a window into a meditation, breathwork and yoga retreat at Rolling Meadows) Earlier this winter I had the pleasure of attending a winter solstice retreat hosted by Surya and Patricia, and writing about...

01/09/2020

Kicked off the Communicating With Power series this morning with a group of incredible, inspiring women. Today was all about the power of messaging fueled by emotion and connection, building on Simon Sinek's #GoldenCircle. It takes a bit to flip our standard way of communicating on it's head, but once we do it flows like magic.

#startwithwhy #socialimpact #growmaine #womensentrepreneurship #valuesbasedmarketing

01/06/2020

Great event coming up at the Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce #WomenoftheChamber featuring Elizabeth Ross Holmstrom of Mindful Employer: Power of Pause. https://www.portlandregion.com/woc.html

#growmaine #mindfulemployerus #mindfulentrepreneurship #womensleadership #mindfulness

Join me on January 14th! Women of the Chamber Event. https://www.instagram.com/p/B60wGYwlgXO/?igshid=r4vgxlbtzgc6

01/01/2020

In the fresh light of the new year this feels so right to me. Bring it on 2020.

#brenebrown #mindfulentrepreneurship #growmaine #socialimpact #communicatewithpower #embracevulnerability

These aren’t easy for me - especially if being predictable and consistent are important. But I’m going to keep crawling my way back to them in 2020. Especially when I’m tempted to act cool OR choose comfort over that crappy, hard conversation OR when I’m dying to be judge-y and blame-y instead of empathic and compassionate.

I’m going to try a lot of new things in 2020 and that feels scary which is often the necessary springboard for awkward and brave.

It’s easy to get to that place where we only do things that we’re already good at doing. I love that place. But it’s not good for me. So, I’m choosing to go back to the 7th grade cafeteria and carry my tray as best I can given my sweaty hands and anxiety-prone introversion. I need to seek out a couple of new tables with new challenges and opportunities. Dammit.

As far as kindness goes - that will need to start with a healthy dose of self-kindness. I know. Sounds cheesy. But, I’ve learned that it’s easier to dismiss that concept as woo-hoo bullsh*t than it is to actually practice it. After I wrangle on my oxygen mask, I’m committed to extending that same imperfect grace to others. I’ve learned that gasping for air while volunteering to give others CPR is not heroic. It’s suffocation by resentment.

As we shut down 2019 and welcome 2020, I want to thank all of you for your support, questions, challenges, teaching, and community-building.

We don’t need to do awkward, brave, and kind alone. We were never meant to.

12/19/2019

Thinking about moving into 2020 with ease and support to share your work with the world? 2 spots in our mastermind: Communicating With Power, running January - June 2020 and focused on mission driven female entrepreneurs. [email protected] to hold your spot.

#growmaine #womensleadership #mindfulentrepreneurship #socialimpact